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Water for Elephants  By  cover art

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen
Narrated by: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones
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Publisher's summary

An atmospheric tale of life and love in a Depression-era traveling circus.

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. Jacob introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus' animal trainer); and to Rosie, a seemingly untrainable elephant.

Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love's a luxury few can afford.

©2006 Sara Gruen (P)2006 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

  • Book Sense Book of the Year Award, Adult Fiction, 2007
  • Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, Unabridged, 2007
" Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like The Giant's House, by Elizabeth McCracken, or The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.” ( New York Times Book Review)
"Just like a circus, the magic of the story and the writing convince you to suspend your disbelief." ( Booklist)
"Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes, and freaks who populate her book." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Water for Elephants

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    13,818
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    5,874
  • 3 Stars
    1,927
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Lions and romance and elephants, oh my!

I love, love, love this book so much. The dual narrators are superb. The story telling is excellent. I wouldn`t change a thing, even the niggling question at the end: did it really happen or did he make it up...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written and narrated

The story was compelling and I found myself wanting to listen to it over and over. The two narrators portayed to different ages of the characters masterfully, and Gruen spun a tale that intertwined the sorrow of the depression with the magic of the circus and true love. I highly recommend this book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

compelling characters, interesting performance

loved the vivid storytelling and amazing imagery. transporting travel through time and a truly lovely ending.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enthralling Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes. The narrator sells the characters very well, almost hypnotically! Fascinating story that I thought would be boring but I couldn't walk away! And when I had to, I couldn't wait to get back to it and find out what happened next!

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite human character was Jacob of course, especially in his feisty old man voice.My second choice is Rosie, the very sensitive, smart and mischievous elephant

Which scene was your favorite?

When the animals were set free, and the scene was described by Jacob

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just absolutely outstanding

Don’t miss this. It’s a tremendous story and it’s told beautifully. I couldn’t wait to listen to each next chapter.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just brilliant

One of my favourite books, I have listened to this, book so many times. You will not be disappointed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of my all time favorite audiobooks.

Has moments so emotional it’s tough to listen but I’ve still returned at least 5 times. Just promise you’ll never watch the movie adaptation. Garbage!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting

Great story. At times sad. Anyone who has worked in or around long-term care facilities will find this very heart-wrenching.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story, great performance!

I love this story! I purchased this book years ago, and went for a second listen, and enjoyed both times! Fascinating learning about old-time circus life, this remains one of my favorite books. I love the storyline, the narrator, and everything about it. Brilliant!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A colorful & sweet adventure

Author Sara Gruen has spun a charming and unaffected tale of love, revenge and renewal that is made even more enjoyable by the equally gifted talents of David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones (dual narrators). This audio book was a giggle and a tear rolled into one. I'm very tempted to read a hard copy of this now just to see how it compares (and holds up) to what is now one of my favorite audio books. Superb!

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55 people found this helpful